How start quickly with GnuPG ?

Hi,

I would like to use Gnupg to encrypt, sign... documents.

I've downloaded the Manual, it's quite extensive. So the learning curve is proportional :)

I've tried the GPA GUI, but with it, it seem impossible to generate an ECC key..

So what would be your recommendation to be able to generate ECC keys, be able to encrypt, sign etc.. with or without GUI.

Thanks.

13 comments

Here's a good place to start:

gpg --gen-key

Then follow the prompts.
Not my blog, but you might find this useful.

Cheatsheet: https://devhints.io/gnupg
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GnuPG

You can create keys with a gui:

https://www.openpgp.org/software/kleopatra/
It's been a hot minute since I've done anything with GnuPG, but I still have the presentation I did some years back on my website. It might help.
possibly one of the most insufferable tasks on Linux, I've never had luck with it
Debian wiki has some good stuff, e.g. https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys
If you use emacs, you can set up gnupg integration for easy encryption and decryption of files.

I would also read up on expiration of keys, and how you can export (backup) and import a key. The latter can also be useful if you want to use the same key on multiple devices.
For what it's worth, some say that PGP is bad and needs to go away. I found that article pretty interesting when learning sops.
- TL;DR here.
  
  GnuPGP is bad. It's so bad, it's terrible. Don't use it, it's the worst. You know this GNU? It's bad, terrible.
  
  Use this one instead, it's coded in Rust...
  
  Lol OK.. Thanks I guess...
  
  You do you man. I'm just trying to share some information that helped me.
If you think it's hard to figure out GPG for yourself, well good luck finding and communicating with someone else who has also figured it out.

13 comments